Salsola arbuscula

Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum (Cactaceae) aps 15,127 78 Salsola arbuscula (Chenopodiaceae) ber 67,878 34 Salsola kali (Chenopodiaceae) book 6 Salsola pestifera (Chenopodiaceae) iant 2, 86 85 Salsola richteri (Chenopodiaceae) rr 16, 86 80... 

Comparatively few simple isoquinoline alkaloids have been found to occur naturally. Until now such compounds have been encountered in three or four species of the Cactaceae, in a Chenopodiaceae [Salsola arbuscula Pall. (S. richteri Karel)], in three species belonging to the family of the Fumari-aceae [Corydalis pallida (Thunb.) Pers.,C. awrea Willd., C. tvherosa DC.] and in one Papaveraceae Papaver somniferum L.). While no doubt exists as to the native occurrence of the anhalonium and salsola isoquinolines, hy-drohydrastinine and hydrocotarnine may have been artifacts from the benzylisoquinoline alkaloids of Corydalis tuberosa and Papaver somniferum. 

Salsoline and salsolidine (0-methylsalsoline) have been found by Orekhov and Proskurnina (32-35, 36, 37) in the desert plant Salsola arbuscula (S. richteri) belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae. A third alkaloid, of unknown constitution (salsamine), occurs in traces in the drug. 

Konovalova, Platonova and Konovalova (53), isolated salsoline and salsolidine from infusions of Salsola arbuscula (S. richteri) by adsorption on bentonite. 

The Chenopodiaceae family is closely related to the Cactaceae, both belonging to the order of Caryophyllales. Four species of this family are known to contain simple tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids of the same kind as found in cactus species (Table 3). Salsola arbuscula was the first known natural source of salsoline and salsoUdine (Orekhov and Proskumina 1934). No phenethylamine derivatives are reported from the Chenopodiaceae species containing tetrahydroisoquinolines. However, another species of this family, Haloxylon salicornum (Moq.-Tand.) Boiss. is rich in substituted phenethylamines (Michel and Sandberg 1968) which further points at the close relationship with the Cactaceae family. 

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